Police: Connecticut Woman Mistakes Raccoon For Cat, Gets Attacked

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HAMDEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) — An eyeglass retailer commercial that has been running for the past few years features a woman calling her cat into the house, and failing to notice when the animal that responds and comes inside is not the cat, but a raccoon.

In Hamden, Connecticut this past weekend, it was not so funny when the events of the commercial actually happened.

Police said an 88-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, heard a sound at her sliding glass door Sunday and opened it to let her cat inside.

Police said it appeared the raccoon followed the cat into the home.

A short time later, the woman was attempting to pet what she thought was the cat, when the raccoon attacked, biting her on the arm and face.

The woman was taken by ambulance to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she was treated and released.

Police said the raccoon was killed after charging at two officers who responded to the home. Authorities said the remains were being tested for rabies.

The Sears Optical commercial featuring a woman who mistakes a raccoon for her cat first aired in 2009, and was developed by the Chicago-based ad agency Sponge, according to published reports.